A MASSIVE haul of pirate DVDs worth £1.5m have been seized in a swoop on a counterfeiting ring.

The discs, along with plastic sleeves and printed covers, were found after an address in Longsight was targeted by Trading Standards and police last week.

A MASSIVE haul of pirate DVDs worth £1.5m have been seized in a swoop on a counterfeiting ring.

The discs, along with plastic sleeves and printed covers, were found after an address in Longsight was targeted by Trading Standards and police last week.

One of the largest discoveries ever of its kind in the country, the haul included Hollywood films and pornographic movies, with an estimated street value of £1.5m.

A further three properties in Manchester were raided the next day, and a total of ten people have been arrested and released on bail while further enquiries are made.

The DVDs have been examined by the council and the Federation Against Copyright Theft, who have confirmed the discs, which are being stored at a secret location, are fake.

DVD piracy is often perceived as a `victimless crime'.

But the authorities and the film industry have been trying to ram home the message that copied DVDs - often hawked on market stalls, in pubs and in takeaways - fund dangerous organised criminals.

Coun Richard Cowell said: "Counterfeiting is a crime which has a knock-on effect on the rest of society, particularly on the economy as it threatens jobs provided by legitimate businesses.

"We want to pay tribute to our trading standards officers, who work hard with our partners at Greater Manchester Police and organisations like FACT to clamp down on this problem across the city."

FACT was set up 25 years ago to challenge the threat posed to the film and TV industry by piracy.

Director general Kieron Sharp said: "This seizure of knock-off DVDs is one of the largest ever and shows the scale of the illegal trade in stolen film product.

"This is not a harmless activity - it brings crime to local communities, damages trade in local retailers and puts money into the coffers of organised criminal networks. FACT is delighted to be working with Greater Manchester Police and Manchester council to deal with this criminality."

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